Lamp manipulator



my. 19, 1935. ,J. R. TATE 2,021,529

LAMP MANIPULATOR Filed July 26, 1934 311042111721- Fi E1. J12 T9118,

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,021,529 LAMP MANIPULATOR James R. Tate, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Dominion Cutout Company Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application July 26, 1934, Serial No. 736,982

7 Claims. (Cl. 29420) on the end of a pole so that the bulbs may be removed and replaced without the operator leaving the ground. The devices for this purpose heretofore known employ a series of gripping members which are moved to and from lamp gripping position by mechanism operated by a' cord extending down the pole, with the result that both hands are required to operate, one to hold the pole and the other to manipulate the cord.

My object is to devise a construction which will avoid the use of this operating cord, leaving both hands free to support the pole:

I attain my object by providing the device with a plurality of gripping members arranged to receive the light bulb between them, each of which gripping members comprises a support of spring material on which are mounted a series of lamp engaging rollers, which rollers not only facilitate the engagement with and disengagement fro-m the bulb, but are arranged so that they are permitted limited independent movement relative to the support and to one another that they may the more readily accommodate themselves to the contour of the lamp to more evenly and effectively frictionally engage the lamp.

The construction is hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 a sectional detail showing one of the rolls in normal position; and

Fig. 3 a similar view showing the roll in slightly canted position.

In the drawing like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

I indicates a sup-port, which is preferably provided with a socket in its lower end to receive the upper end of a pole. On this support are mounted a plurality of gripping members. In the construction shown each member comprises a pair of spaced clips 2 of spring metal which are secured to the support by rivets or in other suitable manner and which are curved longitudinally to fit the general contour of the lamp, the latter being indicated in dotted lines. Extending between these clips are rods or shafts 3 on eaclr of which is rotatably mounted a roll 4. Each roll is preferably formed with a metal core 5 with an outer portion 6 of resilient gripping material such as rubber or the like.

As stated above, it is desirable that the rollers be permitted a limited independent movement relative to the support and to one another to more effectively engage the lamp, and I therefore make the shafts 3 somewhat longer than the width of 5 g the rolls so that the latter may slide slightly longitudinally of the shafts, and further the cores 5 are considerably larger in internal diameter than the diameter of the shafts 3, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 2, so that when the device 10 is rotated to remove or insert a lamp, the rolls tend to cant or rock as indicated in Fig. 3 to accommodate themselves to the lamp, thus causing a wedging action which tends to increase the gripping effect of the rollers on the lamp.

The use of the large core possesses the further advantage that it reduces the twisting strain on the rubber as the roller as a whole is permitted to rock, and further it enables me to use a larger roll than would otherwise be possible.

On the support is provided a bumper l of rubher or other resilient material against which the lamp-may contact when positioning the tool on a lamp to avoid breaking the lamp.

To remove a lamp from its socket, the gripping members are sprung over the lamp, and the device then rotated to unscrew the lamp. The gripping members engage the lamp sufficiently firmly to prevent its accidental disengagement when removed from the socket. To replace a lamp, the lamp is inserted between the gripping members, and the lamp stem then inserted in the end of socket, and the tool is then rotated by means of the handle to screw the lamp into the socket.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support; resilient members carried by said support and arranged to form between them a lamp receiving pocket; and lamp-engaging rollers tiltably mounted on each of said members, the axes of said rollers being arranged transversely of the members.

2. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support, resilient members carried by 45 said support and arranged to form between them a lamp receiving pocket, each of said members having a plurality of supporting rods arranged transversely thereof; and lamp engaging rollers journalled on said rods, the internal diameter of the rollers being sufficiently greater than the diameter of the rods to permit tilting of the rollers relative to said rods.

3. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support, resilient members carried by 55 said support and arranged to form between them a lamp receiving pocket, each of said members having a plurality of supporting rods arranged transversely thereof; and lamp engaging rollers journalled on said rods, each of said rollers having a metal core and a peripheral portion of resilient material, the internal diameter of the cores being sufiiciently greater than the diameter of the rods to permit tilting of the rollers relative to said rods.

4. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support; a plurality of series of rollers for frictionally engaging a lamp and forming between them a lamp receiving pocket; the axes of said rollers being arranged circumferentially of the pocket, and roller supporting means carried by said support one of said series of rollers being movable relative to the other series to permit the lamp to enter or leave the pocket, the lamp-engaging surfaces of each of said rollers being tiltable relative to the axis on which it rotates.

5. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support; members carried by said support and arranged to form between them a lampreceiving pocket, one of said members being movable relative to the other members to permit the lamp to enter or leave the pocket; and tiltable lamp-engaging rollers mounted on each of said members, the axes of said rollers being arranged transversely of the members.

6. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support; resilient members carried by said support and arranged to form between them a lamp receiving pocket; and lamp-engaging rollers mounted on each of said members, the lamp engaging surfaces of said rollers being formed of resilient material and the axes of said rollers being arranged transversely of the members.

7. In a lamp manipulating device, the combination of a support; members carried by said support and arranged to form between them a lampreceiving pocket, one of said members being movable relative to the other members to permit the lamp to enter or leave the pocket; and lampengaging rollers mouted on each of said members, the lamp engaging surfaces of said rollers being formed of resilient material and the axes of said rollers being arranged transversely of the members.

JAMES R. TATE. 

